Baidu will launch its first electric vehicle model using its new conversational artificial intelligence (AI) technology, with the intention of providing a ChatGPT-like experience that enables natural conversation between owners and their vehicles, an executive from the company said on Tuesday.
Why it matters: This is the latest move by the Chinese technology giant to improve its core search engine business and drive widespread adoption of AI for a range of uses.
Details: Jidu Auto, the electric vehicle arm of Baidu, will be the first company to adopt AI technology at this level of sophistication for smart EVs, chief executive Xia Yiping told reporters at a corporate event in Beijing on Tuesday.
- Xia reaffirmed the companyโs plan to deliver its first production model, the Robo-01 sports utility vehicle (SUV), in the third quarter of 2023 with a โvery competitiveโ price tag (our translation).
- Launched in October, the crossover can travel around 600 kilometers (373 miles) on a single charge, as TechNode previously reported. Pricing details have so far only been revealed for a special edition version of the vehicle, which will start from RMB 399,800 ($55,245).
- Xia said he was optimistic about the companyโs sales growth in light of Teslaโs significant price cuts, adding that the sudden move reflected the US automakerโs waning competitiveness in the Chinese market.
READ MORE: Baiduโs EV firm Jidu aims to take on Tesla
Context: Baidu said on Feb. 7 that it has been pushing internal testing of its ChatGPT-like chatbot tool called ERNIE Bot, or Wenxin Yiyan, and intends for it to make a public debut next month.
- OpenAIโs ChatGPT bot has sparked a craze in the Chinese internet space, prompting dozens of Chinese tech companies, including Alibaba, NetEase, and JD.com, to announce their own AI chatbots over the past month.
- Media outlets and traditional businesses are also lining up to incorporate the latest AI technology into their services. Trip.com Group, Chinaโs biggest travel services provider, announced today it is among the first batch of partners listed to integrate Baiduโs chatbot technology into its service platform.
